Employer Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Bristol Royal Infirmary Town Bristol Salary £39,959 – £48,117 per annum (dependent on experience) Salary period Yearly Closing 05/11/2026 23:59 Interview date 17/11/2026
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist – Respiratory & Critical Care
Band 6
North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1 st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust. Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received.
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Job overview
We are pleased to offer a fantastic opportunity within the Adult Speech & Language Therapy Department at University Hospitals Bristol & Weston NHS Foundation Trust on a permanent, full time basis.
We are seeking a passionate and experienced Band 6 Speech and Language Therapist to join our Respiratory and Critical Care pathways. This role involves delivering specialist communication and dysphagia services to in patients across high-care Respiratory and Cardiology wards, the General Intensive Care Unit, and the Regional Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
You will work with skilled Band 6 colleagues, Clinical Speciality Team Leads, and a dedicated SLT Assistant, while closely collaborating with the wider multi-disciplinary team (MDT). Your responsibilities will include managing tracheostomised and ventilator-dependent patients and contributing to regular MDT teaching sessions.
Main duties of the job
We are a dynamic team providing an excellent service to our patients and staff. You will be working within a team who enjoy a supportive and friendly working environment, where we encourage participation and learning from one another at all times and focus our efforts towards a patient centred service. You will work as part of the wider SLT Adult service which has Specialist SLTs within Stroke, Older People and Progressive Neurological disorders, Head & Neck, Oncology and Voice. The department has regular in–service training, peer and line management supervision and weekly Videofluoroscopy and in-patient FEES services.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.
With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person specification
Education and qualifications/Experience
- Educated to degree or equivalent
- HCPC registered/ RCSLT member
- Recent experience of working with adults withing respiratory and/or critical care
- Experience of working as core member of MDT
- Recent experience of working in Adult acute inpatient settings
- Experience of planning & implementing training to others & / or giving presentations
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Recent evidence of CPD in communication and swallowing problems in respiratory and critical care settings
- Specialised knowledge & experience of a wide range of therapeutic models of working with communication disorders & dysphagia within Respiratory and Critical pathways
- Demonstrates highly developed auditory & perceptual skills in the assessment, diagnosis & treatment of adult patients
- Knowledge of clinical governance & audit
- Competent Information Technology Skills, including use of MS office tools, Outlook, Word, Excel
- Current knowledge & experience of managing tracheostomy and ventilator dependent patients
- Experience using & interpreting videofluoroscopy / FEES & implementing findings into practice
- Advanced dysphagia skills: Independent working with patients with complex dysphagia in a range of acute settings/ with multiple aetiologies including management of patients with Tracheostomies
- Ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with a wide range of people
- Ability to manage own time appropriately and to prioritise tasks
- Excellent organisational skills
- Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
- Ability to review & reflect on own skills & knowledge, and to lead own CPD in conjunction with supervisors & peers
- Ability to recognise own professional boundaries & accept support/ seek advice as appropriate
- Ability to work independently
- Ability to challenge & influence members of MDT
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support – developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
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IMPORTANT:
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date.
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Emily Highfield Speech & Language Therapist Job title Clinical Lead Adult Speech and Language Therapy Email address emily.highfield3@nhs.net Telephone number 01173421564
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